Reeking of Excitement for Krissy, Maine’s New Way To Wake Up on Q97.9

Whether you believe the universe has a set plan from day one or not, there's no denying that life can be so weird and so interesting.

And even if there are no such things as coincidences because the universe has already determined our path, the way paths can cross is interesting. But the way they can run parallel for so long before they cross is even more interesting.

Because that's exactly how the story has been for me and the brand new morning show host on Q97.9, Krissy in the Morning.

I first met Krissy without actually meeting Krissy (and if we did meet, it was such a rushed introduction that it clearly wasn't a memorable one) forever ago when I worked at a Boston radio station. I did a mix of reporting traffic in a different department and doing weekend shows on the station, while at the same time Krissy was interning for the night show.

So, while we had no reason to interact back then for no other reason than we never crossed paths, it was hard not to notice "the random girl with the red hair over there" (legit my words back in the day) while we were both backstage working a concert the station was putting on.

That would actually be a constant throughout the years because the more social media picked up in popularity, the more she would come across my feed. Eventually, her internship ended and she ended up working for a competing Boston station, and around the same time, I got a new job with a station in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Shortly after, while I was still doing my thing in Portsmouth, Krissy landed her first morning show gig on a different station here in Portland. And that's when I really noticed her take off with popularity. She literally started becoming a name not just in Portland, not just in Maine, but in all of New England.

And when that happens, the bigger cities usually come knocking. She got a call from a station in Detroit, Michigan to jump to the big leagues, and ironically, around the same time, I made my way to a bigger city in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

While we weren't exactly going to the same city, our career paths were still parallel -- both "younger radio kids" just coming up in the business with big dreams of working in the big city, leaving home around the same time. Which makes the next sentence and chapter in our respective careers that much more ironic.

In January 2020, while working for the same company in those different cities, we were both laid off on the same day as part of a national restructuring of the company. A couple of months later, I came home to New England. A few months after that, Krissy did the same.

But ironically, that layoff was actually what started our friendship, because in the world of radio, you end up developing friendships with people you've never met. And for whatever reason, we ended up checking in on each other that day and just never stopped talking.

Paths still parallel, but paths also still never crossing. Until now.

Krissy can tell her own story of growth because it's hers to tell, but I know that our growth stories are also paths that have run parallel. Because sometimes you need to leave home to chase big dreams in order to realize your actual big dreams have been right at home from the start, and home is where you've belonged the whole time.

And honestly, that's just some of what you're going to hear starting this Monday at 6a when Krissy in the Morning debuts and becomes Maine's NEW way to wake up.

And honestly, I'm here for it and can't wait. Welcome home, Krissy.